Title:
The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Expected Publication: April 24, 2012
Goodreads Barnes & Noble Amazon
My Rating:
From Goodreads:
In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.
My Review:
I was very excited to read my first book by Julie Kagawa. I have heard tremendous things about this author and her writing. If you find it hard to imagine reading yet another vampire novel, let me assure you, there are a lot more things going on in The Immortal Rules than just vampires. These vampires are not your stick-to-the-shadows, maybe-they-exist-maybe-they-don’t variety. These vampires rule whole cities, and it is the humans who have had to learn to stick to the shadows.
While I enjoyed the story very much, there were times it also felt very familiar. I felt as though I was reading several of my favorite books in this one action-packed story. I can’t complain, though - they
are my favorite stories for a reason.
Allison has not led a privileged, pampered life. As an unregistered, she has struggled, scavenged, and grappled most of her life just in order to survive. And the fight for survival has fueled her hatred for one thing above all others - vampires. So what will Allie choose when she’s faced with the choice of an immortal life, or death?
I appreciate a female lead like Allie - she’s just the type of determined and tenacious heroine I delight in reading about. Her growth as a character was amazing, and I found her very easy to root for.
I loved the different paths the story took, by first introducing us to The Fringe, then, Kanin, and later, Jebbadiah’s group. While some of those things were, again, familiar, the rabids were not! Rabids are not what I first suspected, and, though these creatures are capable of haunting my dreams for many nights to come, I’m not sure who I would rather face: A rabid, or Jackal! Jackal was an extremely intriguing character, but I’m going to refrain from saying more about him, as to not give anything away.
The male protagonist, Ezekiel, aka Zeke, was not introduced in the beginning of the book, and I very much enjoyed that unique angle of the story. I liked Zeke for several reasons, not just because he was this handsome boy who had eyes for Allie. I liked him for his faith and for the kind of person he was: honest, kind, and very brave. Zeke had certain beliefs drilled into him since he was a little boy, so will he be capable of seeing past that, drawing his own conclusions, and, eventually, making his own decisions? That was something I found very relatable. Zeke’s story broke my heart, and a particular gut-wrenching scene involving him and Jebbadiah, really gives the readers insight into both of these characters. Zeke was definitely endearing, but he could also could be surprisingly funny! I do love a little humor in my man:
“‘You didn’t hear what she told me when I got up - you’re so cute I could put you in a pie. Tell me that’s not the creepiest thing you’ve ever heard.’”
Actually, there was humor infused throughout the book, even when the characters were in the most dire situations. I love it when a book has me nervously teetering on the edge of my chair one second, only to have me bursting out laughing and drawing looks from my family in the next!
“I ducked behind the corner again, heart pounding. You’ve got to be kidding, I mused, sinking farther into the concealing shadows, hoping they didn’t hear me. This just isn’t my night. Deer, rabids, and now freaking mole men in the tunnels. No one is going to believe this. I shook my head and huddled lower, clutching the handle of my knife. Now all I need is a vampire to come sauntering through and it’ll be perfect.”
Both of those quotes are subject to change, as they are from the ARC, but I sure hope they won’t, because I adore them!
The ending of the book was killer, and I wish I had the next book in my hands now. To appease myself, I plan on starting another popular series by Julie Kagawa, The Iron Fey. I can certainly see why there is so much buzz about this author, and I can’t wait to read all of her novels.
Thank you to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
